Page 1 of 6

Career Development

26.4.20

THE BASICS OF CAREER MANAGEMENT

Career may be defined as the “occupational positions a person has had over many years.”
Many people look back on their careers with satisfaction, knowing that what they might
have achieved, they did achieve, and that their career goals were satisfied. Others are
less fortunate and feel that, at least in their careers, their lives and their potential went
unfulfilled.
We can define career management as a process for enabling employees to better
understand and develop their career skills and interests and to use these sills and
interests most effectively both within the company and after they leave the firm. Career
development is the lifelong series of activities (such as workshops) that contribute to a
person’s career exploration, establishment, success, and fulfillment. Career planning is the
deliberate process through which someone becomes aware of personal skills, interests,
knowledge, motivations, and other characteristics; acquires information about
opportunities and choices; identifies career-related goals; and establishes action plans to
attain specific goals.

TRADITIONAL VERSUS CAREER DEVELOPMENT FOCUS

Some differences are identified between traditional focus and career development focus.
These are:
HR Activity Traditional Focus Career Development Focus
Human resource Analyzes jobs, skills, tasks on the Adds information about individual
planning basis of present and future job interests, preferences, and the like
requirements by using statistical to data used in traditional focus.
data.
Training and Provides opportunities for Provides career patch Information
development learning skills, information, and Adds individual growth orientation.
attitudes related to job.
Performance Rating and /or rewards. Adds development plans and
appraisal individual goal setting.
Recruiting and Matching organization’s needs Matches individual and jobs based
placement with qualified individuals. on a number of variables including
employees’ career interests.

Page 1 of 6
Page 2 of 6

Compensation Rewards for time, productivity In addition to traditional focus it

and benefits talent, and so on. adds non-job-related activities to
be rewarded, such as United Way
leadership positions.

ROLES IN CAREER DEVELOPMENT

The employee, the manager, and the employer all play roles in planning, guiding, and
developing the employee’s career. However, the employee must always accept full
responsibility for his or her own career development and career success.
Individual’s roles in career development
 Accept responsibility for you own career.
 Assess your Interests, skills, an values.
 Seek out career information and resources.
 Establish goals and career plans.
 Utilize development opportunities.
 Talk with your manager about your career.
 Follow through on realistic career plans.
Manager’s roles in career development
 Provide timely performance feedback.
 Provide developmental assignments and support.
 Participate in career development discussions.
 Support employee development plans.
Organization’s roles in career development
 Communicate mission, policies, and procedures.
 Provide career information and career programs.
 Offer a variety of career options.

DEALING WITH A MENTOR

Employer can play an important role, or instance, by encouraging and rewarding senior
managers to serve as mentors. It is ultimately the employee’s responsibility to find a
mentor and to maintain a productive relationship.

Page 2 of 6
Page 3 of 6

 Choose an appropriate potential mentor. The mentor should be able to remain

objective to offer good career advice, so someone who doesn’t have direct supervisory
responsibility over you may be best. Many people seek out someone who is one or two
levels above their current boss, or possibly even someone in another company.
 Don’t be surprised if turned down. Not everyone is willing to undertake this time-
consuming professional commitment, so do not be surprised if your first one or two
choices turn you down.
 Make expectation clear. Make it easier for a potential mentor to agree to your
request by making it clear head of time what you expect in terms of time and advice.
 Have an agenda. Bring an agenda to your first mentoring meeting that lays out key
issues and topics for discussion.
 Respect the mentor’s time. Be selective about the work-related issues that you bring
to the table – this person isn’t there to be your personal management consultant.
Furthermore, the mentoring relationship generally should not involve personal
problems or issues.

INNOVATIVE CORPORATE CAREER DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVES

Employers’ corporate career development initiatives may also include innovative programs
like those listed below.
1. Provide each employee with an individual budget. There should have some budget for
individual employees so that he or she can use this budget for learning about career
options and personal development.
2. Offer on-site online career centers. These might include an on or off-line library of
career development materials, career workshops, workshops on related topics (such as
time management), and also provide individual career coaches for career guidance.
3. Encourage role reversal. Have employees temporarily work in different positions in
order to develop a better appreciation of their occupational strengths and weaknesses.
4. Establish a “corporate campus.” Make career and development courses and programs
available, perhaps through partnerships with local colleges or consultants.
5. Help organize “career success teams.” These are small groups of employees from the
same or different departments who meet periodically to network and support one
another in achieving their career goals.
6. Provide career coaches. The coaches help individual employees identify their
development needs and obtain the training, professional development, and networking
opportunities that they need to satisfy those needs.
Page 3 of 6
Page 4 of 6

7. Provide Career Planning Workshops. A career planning workshop is “a planned learning

event in which participants are expected to be actively involved, completing career
planning exercises and inventories and participating in career skills practice sessions”.
A typical workshop includes three main activities: self-assessment, an environmental
assessment, and goal-setting and action-planning segment.
8. Computerized on-and offline programs. These are available for improving the
organizational career planning process. The company analyzes an employee’s training
needs. Clicking on the employee’s name launches his or her work history, competencies,
career path, and other information. For each competency, a bar chart graphically shows
“gap analysis” highlighting the person’s strengths and weaknesses. The firm can then
organize developmental activities around the person’s needs.
9. Opportunity Knocks program. Its purpose is to help employees crystallize their career
goals and achieve them within the company. In addition to career development training
and follow-up support it contains materials such as career assessment and planning
tools.

CAREER DEVELOPMENT STAGE

The career development comprises of some steps appear sequentially. The steps/stages of
career development are as follows:
1. Growth Stage: The growth stage lasts roughly from birth to age 14 and is a period
during which the person develops a self-concept by identifying with and interacting
with other people such as family, friends, and teachers. Towards the end of this
stage, the adolescent (who by this time has developed preliminary ideas about what
his or her interests and abilities are) begins to think realistically about alternative
occupations.
2. Exploration Stage: The exploration stage is the period (roughly from ages 15 to
24) during which a person seriously explores various occupational alternatives.
The person attempts to match these alternatives with what he or she has learned
about them and about his or her own interests and abilities from school, leisure
activities, and work. Tentative broad occupational choices are usually made during
the beginning of this period.
Probably the most important task the person has in this and the preceding stage is
that of developing a realistic understanding of his or her abilities and talents.
3. Establishment Sage: The establishment stage spans roughly ages 24 to 44 and is
the heart of most people’s work lives. During this period, it is hoped suitable

Page 4 of 6
Page 5 of 6

occupation is found and the person engages in those activities that help him or her
earn a permanent place in it. This is a period during which the person is continually
testing his or her capabilities and ambitions against those of the initial occupational
choice.
The establishment stage is itself comprised of three substages. The trial
substage lasts from about ages 25 or 30. During this period, the person determines
whether or not the chosen field is suitable; if it is not, several changes might be
attempted.
Roughly between the ages of 30 and 40, the person goes through a stabilization
substage. Here firm occupational goals are set and the person does more explicit
career planning to determine the sequence of promotions, job changes, and/ or any
educational activities that seem necessary for accomplishing these goals.
Finally, somewhere between the mid-thirties and mid-forties, the person may enter
the midcareer crisis substage. During this period, people often make a major
reassessment of their progress relative to original ambitions and goals. They may
find that they are not going to realize their dreams (such as being company
president) or that having been accomplished, their dreams are not all they were
purported to be.
4. Maintenance Stage: Between the ages of 45 and 65, many people simply slide from
the stabilization sub-stage into the maintenance stage. During this latter period,
the person has typically created a place in the world of work and most efforts are
now directed at maintaining that place.
5. Decline Stage: As retirement age approaches, there is often a deceleration period
in the decline stage. Here many people fact the prospect of having to accept
reduced levels of power and responsibility and learn to accept and develop new roles
as mentor and confidante for those who are younger. There is then the more or less
inevitable retirement, after which the person hopefully finds alternative uses for
the time and effort formerly expended on his or her occupation.

IDENTIFICATION OF OCCUPATIONAL ORIENTATION

1. Realistic orientation. These people are attracted to occupations that involve
physical activities requiring skill, strength, and coordination. Examples include
forestry, farming, and agriculture.
2. Investigative orientation. Investigative people are attracted to careers that
involve cognitive activities (thinking, organizing, and understanding) rather than

Page 5 of 6
Page 6 of 6

affective activities (feeling, acting, or interpersonal and emotional tasks). Examples

include biologist, chemist, and professor.
3. Mail orientation. These people are attracted to careers that involve interpersonal
rather than intellectual or physical activities. Examples include clinical psychology,
Foreign Service, and social work.
4. Conventional orientation. A conventional orientation favors careers that involve
structured, rule-regulated activities, as well as careers in which it is expected that
the employee subordinate his or her personal needs to those of the organization.
Examples include accountants and bankers.
5. Enterprising orientation. Verbal activities aimed at influencing others characterize
enterprising personalities. Examples include managers, lawyers, and public relations
executives.
6. Artistic orientation. People here are attracted to careers that involve self-
expression, artistic creation, expression of emotions, and individualistic activities.
Examples include artists, advertising executives, and musicians.

Page 6 of 6